Improvement in fruit-cans



. I. WICKS.

Fruit Can.

Patented Oct. 23, 1866.

lllllllltrlllllltk N. PETERS. Fhomiilhngrapher. Washington. 11c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. J. WICKS, OF BRIDGETON, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters I atent No. 59,111, dated October 23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. J. WIcKs, of Bridgeton, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improved Self-Sealing Fruit-Can and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure I is an elevation; Fig. II, a vertical section, showing the arrangement of the cover, cross-bar, and lugs in connection with the can Fig. III, top View of the can with cover adjusted Fig. IV, view of the bottom or inside of the cover, showing the cross-bar; Fig. V, vertical section of top of can without the cover, showing the lugs.

a, the upper portion of the can b, the cover; 0, the cross-bar, nearly equal in length to the diameter of the nozzle of the can; at d, lugs placed diametrically opposite to each other and fastened to the inner surface of the can near the top; 0, screw, fastened to the cover at its center and passing vertically downward through the center of the cross-bar c, in which it works; h h, circular groove in the under surface of the cover, in which the top or edge of the can fits, the groove being furnished with that when the cover is placed on the can the cross-bar will be lower than the horizontal arms of the lugs 01 d. The cover is then placed on the can, the edge of which fits into the circular groove h h, the cross-bar c passing by the lugs d d below the level of their horizontal arms. On turning the cover the extremities of the cross-bar pass under these horizontal arms until stopped by the vertical'arms of the lugs, in which position the cross-bar remains fixed. On further turning the cover, the screw 6, working through the center of the cross-bar, takes hold of the thread in the hole in the cross-bar and draws the cover tightly down onto the can.

The important objects attained by this contrivance are that by means of the greater leverage the cover may more readily, and by the exertion of very little force, be made to fit more tightly, and the can be rendered more perfectly air-tight, than by theprocess now in use; and the apparatus bein g on the inside, the can is neater and more compact, while at the same time the cover is less liable to become poses set forth.

LOREN J. WICKS'. Witnesses:

NATE. A. PRENTISS, CHAS. MORRILL. 

